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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Decluttering support thread
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Polly Plummer
Shipmate
# 13354
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Posted
Before we last moved house we decided to get rid of our old, incurably out of tune, piano. To save carrying its great weight, Mr. Plummer broke it up on the drive - it was quite exciting to see. The keys liberated from their places looked very pretty and I was sure they could be useful for something, but he took the whole lot to the dump.
Posts: 577 | Registered: Jan 2008
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Jane R
Shipmate
# 331
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Posted
I can see why you smashed up your old piano, Polly, but it seems... wrong. Like burning a book. My dad still has his old three-quarter size violin from when he was a boy. He hasn't played it for years (that one would be too small for him anyway) and it's got woodworm so it would sound terrible. But he can't bear to get rid of it.
Sentiment... the enemy of decluttering.
Wish me luck, everyone - I have lost a vital piece of paper to do with Daughter's martial arts classes. In order to find it I will have to sort out all the family papers, a job I have been putting off for months if not years.
<gulp> Here goes...
Posts: 3958 | From: Jorvik | Registered: May 2001
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North East Quine
Curious beastie
# 13049
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Posted
Good luck, Jane! I find it easier to sort papers when there's a reason to do so.
Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007
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Jane R
Shipmate
# 331
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Posted
PHEW. Only a fraction of the papers have been sorted, but at least I found the missing martial arts document!
I am now going to have the rest of the evening off. There are limits to my devotion to decluttering.
Thanks for the good wishes, NEQ.
[ 29. July 2014, 20:20: Message edited by: Jane R ]
Posts: 3958 | From: Jorvik | Registered: May 2001
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Yangtze
Shipmate
# 4965
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Posted
Two bags of clothes to the charity shop in as many days.
Hurrah. Lots more to go though.
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Arthur & Henry Ethical Shirts for Men
organic cotton, fair trade cotton, linen
Sometimes I wonder What's for Afters?
Posts: 2022 | From: the smallest town in England | Registered: Sep 2003
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Sir Kevin
Ship's Gaffer
# 3492
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Posted
Four bags to the charity shop today and I also contributed a new bed frame because it was made in China, i.e excruciatingly low quality and no better than the ten-year-old one I was going to toss out into the alley for pickup. ![[Angel]](graemlins/angel.gif)
Thank God the new headboard was made right here in the United States. It was quite an ordeal putting everything together and I was finally motivated to do real de-cluttering. I really worked rather hard all afternoon and I will carry on getting rid of rubbish and other worthless items. I am not looking forward to visiting a commercial shredder up the street. I have at least 98 pounds or 7 stone worth of confidential documents such as credit card offers and pharmaceutical labels for them to do! I'll look for a top-of-the-line household shredder later next month! This time I'll maintain it properly and shred six days a week after the post is delivered...
![[Snore]](graemlins/snore.gif) ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Writing is currently my hobby, not yet my profession.
Posts: 30517 | From: White Hart Lane | Registered: Oct 2002
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Brenda Clough
Shipmate
# 18061
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Posted
Does your municipality or county do shredding? Mine does -- you have to bring your materials to the site, and there is a gigantic industrial shredder. All in the cause of diminishing the flow of trash to the local landfill.
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Science fiction and fantasy writer with a Patreon page
Posts: 6378 | From: Washington DC | Registered: Mar 2014
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Sir Kevin
Ship's Gaffer
# 3492
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Posted
I'll have to ask!
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If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Writing is currently my hobby, not yet my profession.
Posts: 30517 | From: White Hart Lane | Registered: Oct 2002
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Nenya
Shipmate
# 16427
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Posted
I shall be decluttering in earnest come the autumn, Nenlet2 is moving away to further his studies and I shall need to keep busy.
To this end I am making lots of plans and reading books and websites on the subject.
Nen - expert procrastinator.
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They told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn.
Posts: 1289 | Registered: May 2011
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The Intrepid Mrs S
Shipmate
# 17002
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Posted
Nen, I've probably told you this before, but when Master S finally moved out For Good, his car boot wouldn't open, so he had to push stuff into it through the lowered back seats. Which severely limited what he wanted to take away with him!
The Then Miss S and I spent three months - yes, a quarter of a year - emptying his room so she could redecorate it and move in. That meant stripping out every stick of furniture and scrap of carpet, plus a lot of packing stuff away in the loft - and then, at a later date, bringing it all down again for him to sort through and either get rid of it, or give me a business case as to why it should go back in the loft ![[Help]](graemlins/help.gif)
I hope your project with Nenlet 2's room doesn't take you as long!
Mrs. S, facing the decluttering of the corner cupboard in the kitchen ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
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Don't get your knickers in a twist over your advancing age. It achieves nothing and makes you walk funny.
Prayer should be our first recourse, not our last resort
'Lord, please give us patience. NOW!'
Posts: 1464 | From: Neither here nor there | Registered: Mar 2012
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Firenze
Ordinary decent pagan
# 619
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Posted
I had a bijou declutterette of a small kitchen cupboard. Having bought new kitchen appliance, an existing one has to go into semi retirement.
Binned stash of very ancient spices, rediscovered 3 nice pottery jugs, so all good.
Posts: 17302 | From: Edinburgh | Registered: Jun 2001
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Jen.
Godless Liberal
# 3131
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Posted
I de cluttered 2 kitchen cupboards last weekend. All I discovered was that I may never need to buy cans of chopped tomatoes or kidney beans ever again.
I mean, I know they're useful but there is a limit..
J
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Was Jenny Ann, but fancied being more minimal.
Posts: 5318 | From: Manchester, England | Registered: Aug 2002
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Jenny Ann:
... I may never need to buy cans of chopped tomatoes or kidney beans ever again ...
Tomatoes and kidney-beans come into the same category as wire coat-hangers or supermarket carrier-bags: if you put two of them together, they'll breed.
Chilli con carne anyone?
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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Welease Woderwick
Sister Incubus Nightmare
# 10424
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Posted
I decluttered just one shelf in the fridge door this afternoon - I have promised to do another shelf tomorrow. The soy sauce was 7 years out of date which is probably too far even for me - and we never use it anyway. The jar with a tiny speck on jam left in it was developing its own ecosystem, even at that temperature.
Still it was something and better than nothing.
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I give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.
Fancy a break in South India?
Accessible Homestay Guesthouse in Central Kerala, contact me for details
What part of Matt. 7:1 don't you understand?
Posts: 48139 | From: 1st on the right, straight on 'til morning | Registered: Sep 2005
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ecumaniac
Ship's whipping girl
# 376
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Posted
Well done!
Today I am clearing out my friend's front room so I can move all my world possessions into it next week. Thank goodness he has many sturdy STACKABLE crates!
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it's a secret club for people with a knitting addiction, hiding under the cloak of BDSM - Catrine
Posts: 2901 | From: Cambridge | Registered: Jun 2001
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Nenya
Shipmate
# 16427
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
I had a bijou declutterette
I love that term! ![[Axe murder]](graemlins/lovedrops.gif) I reckon if I aim for those I might start to get things done.
Mrs S - Nenlet2's room is way down the priority list for my decluttering - in fact he's already done a pretty good job of it himself. Just about every other room in the house needs decluttering more than his does. ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
We currently are decorating our bedroom so are sleeping in what used to be Nenlet1's bedroom, with loads of stuff piled up in the box room. Decorating takes us years. Literally. This decorating has been the plan since Nenlet1 got married over two years ago. ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Meanwhile I have my sights on a corner of the dining room. I've been eyeing it up for days and will be starting on it soon. Oh yes.
Nen - feeling the sudden urge to put the kettle on.
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They told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn.
Posts: 1289 | Registered: May 2011
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welsh dragon
Shipmate
# 3249
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Posted
It is possible to declutter kidney beans and tomatoes into a Basics Bank collection quite successfully (if within date).
Posts: 5352 | From: ebay | Registered: Aug 2002
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North East Quine
Curious beastie
# 13049
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Posted
I have bought 20 Tesco Basic foolscap box files (£2 each) and am sorting the paperwork mountain into 20 different categories, each with its own box file. I think 20 will be enough.....
Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007
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ecumaniac
Ship's whipping girl
# 376
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Nen - feeling the sudden urge to put the kettle on.
That's decluttering in my book! I have a gigantic tea stash that really needs drinking up.
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it's a secret club for people with a knitting addiction, hiding under the cloak of BDSM - Catrine
Posts: 2901 | From: Cambridge | Registered: Jun 2001
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Jane R
Shipmate
# 331
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Posted
Huge decluttering on Daughter's bedroom yesterday, complicated by the discovery that her bed was broken. Hasty visit to local furniture shop just before closing to get new one revealed that the earliest they can deliver it is in three weeks' time. So she's sleeping on a mattress on the floor until then and the things that were in boxes under her bed are in the spare bedroom...
We did get rid of four bags of rubbish though, and her bedroom looks amazing. For five minutes.
Posts: 3958 | From: Jorvik | Registered: May 2001
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daisydaisy
Shipmate
# 12167
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Nen - feeling the sudden urge to put the kettle on.
That's decluttering in my book! I have a gigantic tea stash that really needs drinking up.
Similarly, I continue to declutter my booze stash.
Posts: 3184 | From: southern uk | Registered: Dec 2006
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
Would you like some help with that?
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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ecumaniac
Ship's whipping girl
# 376
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Posted
Decluttering party at daisydaisy's!
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it's a secret club for people with a knitting addiction, hiding under the cloak of BDSM - Catrine
Posts: 2901 | From: Cambridge | Registered: Jun 2001
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Jane R
Shipmate
# 331
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Posted
...haec hoc...
[translation for non-Latin-speaking shipmates: beginning of the declension of the Latin pronoun this/these]
Posts: 3958 | From: Jorvik | Registered: May 2001
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North East Quine
Curious beastie
# 13049
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Posted
I started the Great Study Declutter on 5 July and it's now the 5 Aug and I'm still not finished. One final push....
On the positive side, the new curtain pole went up yesterday, and the new curtains were hung today. I am beyond thrilled with the way the room is shaping up and don't want to lose it by letting a tidal wave of paperwork back in.
Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007
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The Intrepid Mrs S
Shipmate
# 17002
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
...haec hoc...
[translation for non-Latin-speaking shipmates: beginning of the declension of the Latin pronoun this/these]
I chose an etching from the studio of an artist in Kent, at least partly because of its title. It's of a small French town, and it's called -
'Vini vini vini'.
Mrs, S, proud possessor of real etchings ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
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Don't get your knickers in a twist over your advancing age. It achieves nothing and makes you walk funny.
Prayer should be our first recourse, not our last resort
'Lord, please give us patience. NOW!'
Posts: 1464 | From: Neither here nor there | Registered: Mar 2012
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ArachnidinElmet
Shipmate
# 17346
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Posted
Whacking great quantities of paper decluttered today. After 3 months waiting, the council have finally delivered a new lid for paper recycling bin. 2 hours later, it's full and ready for collection. Can now walk around own house without fear of disappearing under an avalanche of newspapers and junkmail. ![[Yipee]](graemlins/spin.gif)
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'If a pleasant, straight-forward life is not possible then one must try to wriggle through by subtle manoeuvres' - Kafka
Posts: 1887 | From: the rhubarb triangle | Registered: Sep 2012
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Yangtze
Shipmate
# 4965
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Posted
Ooh, me too. We have small green bins (kinda the size of a large cardboard box) fr recycling rather than a wheelie bin and I have filled two of them and will fill the third tomorrow.
I also gave vast piles of old magazines away on Freegle.
Plus two more bags of clothes to charity shop.
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Arthur & Henry Ethical Shirts for Men
organic cotton, fair trade cotton, linen
Sometimes I wonder What's for Afters?
Posts: 2022 | From: the smallest town in England | Registered: Sep 2003
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North East Quine
Curious beastie
# 13049
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Posted
My lovely neighbours let me put my overflow recycling into their box whilst they were on holiday.
The North East Man and the North East Daughter have been inspired by my efforts and are now decluttering, too! Which is excellent, but it does add to the feeling of general chaos.
Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007
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ecumaniac
Ship's whipping girl
# 376
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Posted
With my move pretty much done, I'm not sure if it's good or bad that I only managed to declutter 2 carrier bags of clothes/shoes.
Oh, and a quarter bottle of gin.
All my worldly possessions are now piled up in the dining room of my long suffering friend. I've secretly put all my foodstuffs in his cupboards/freezer though. I don't intend on taking them with me to the new house!
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it's a secret club for people with a knitting addiction, hiding under the cloak of BDSM - Catrine
Posts: 2901 | From: Cambridge | Registered: Jun 2001
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
... and a quarter bottle of gin ...
All in one go?? ![[Overused]](graemlins/notworthy.gif)
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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ecumaniac
Ship's whipping girl
# 376
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Posted
I learned to drink gin from the best.
The Anglicans
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it's a secret club for people with a knitting addiction, hiding under the cloak of BDSM - Catrine
Posts: 2901 | From: Cambridge | Registered: Jun 2001
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moonfruit
Shipmate
# 15818
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Posted
It's decluttering time in my little flat! I had a conversation with my dad where he surveyed the general mess and said "I think you might need more storage". To which my reply: "Wrong solution. I don't need more storage, I need less stuff!"
My aim is to start with CDs and books. Plan for CDs is to see what's available on Spotify, then ditch. Books however will be harder. Even if they go to charity, I still get terribly sentimental. Books are somehow part of me, and getting rid of them seems...wrong. But then having books on my shelf that I haven't even opened in 5 years seems silly.
Wish me luck!
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All I know is that you came and made beauty from my mess.
Posts: 180 | From: Just outside the M25 | Registered: Aug 2010
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
A carrier bag of books and another of CDs went out this morning to the second hand bookstall raising money for the church. I asked first and he was quite happy to take them. There's a box of videos
to post to the only place that recycles them, while they're accepting them and another box of cassettes.
I also managed to get rid of three carrier bags of the secretary's papers for something I did ages ago. The current secretary took them away. She's going to try and find a cupboard in one of the churches involved to store everything.
The ironing pile is, however, still looking reproachfully at me.
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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Jane R
Shipmate
# 331
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Posted
Went to a second-hand booksale today and came back with nine (count them, nine) books. None of them were actually for me: two for mother-in-law, one for husband, the rest were selected by Daughter who is now a confirmed book addict.
We are so doomed.
Posts: 3958 | From: Jorvik | Registered: May 2001
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
[tangent]
quote:
Originally posted by ecumaniac:
I learned to drink gin from the best.
The Anglicans
![[Killing me]](graemlins/killingme.gif)
Me too - specifically, the curate at Downpatrick Cathedral about 20 years ago.
I was quite shocked when the Dean came back from a conference a few years ago and said he'd only just discovered GIN.
How could he have possibly been an Anglican all his life and risen to such an office without it? ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
[/tangent] - back to your de-cluttering ...
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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Welease Woderwick
Sister Incubus Nightmare
# 10424
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
Went to a second-hand booksale today and came back with nine (count them, nine) books. None of them were actually for me: two for mother-in-law, one for husband, the rest were selected by Daughter who is now a confirmed book addict.
We are so doomed.
But in the nicest possible way!
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I give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.
Fancy a break in South India?
Accessible Homestay Guesthouse in Central Kerala, contact me for details
What part of Matt. 7:1 don't you understand?
Posts: 48139 | From: 1st on the right, straight on 'til morning | Registered: Sep 2005
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moonfruit
Shipmate
# 15818
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
Went to a second-hand booksale today and came back with nine (count them, nine) books. None of them were actually for me: two for mother-in-law, one for husband, the rest were selected by Daughter who is now a confirmed book addict.
We are so doomed.
Jane R, that sounds like something I would do. The Oxfam bookshops are also dangerous places.
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All I know is that you came and made beauty from my mess.
Posts: 180 | From: Just outside the M25 | Registered: Aug 2010
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Nenya
Shipmate
# 16427
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by moonfruit:
The Oxfam bookshops are also dangerous places.
They are indeed. Lots of interesting books in the Oxfam shops, I often end up making a very necessary purchase.
Nenlet2 went off to his new university town today to get settled before his course starts. I have tidied one side of the kitchen surfaces, sorted a shelf in one of the kitchen cupboards, cleaned out the fridge and have two bagfuls of things for the clothes bank tomorrow.
Nen - keeping busy. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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They told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn.
Posts: 1289 | Registered: May 2011
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The Intrepid Mrs S
Shipmate
# 17002
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:
Nen - keeping busy. [/QB]
I hope that's not an ironic smilie, Nen! Thinking of you, anyway (())
Mrs. S, eagerly awaiting a passing visit from The Former Miss S and SiL
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Don't get your knickers in a twist over your advancing age. It achieves nothing and makes you walk funny.
Prayer should be our first recourse, not our last resort
'Lord, please give us patience. NOW!'
Posts: 1464 | From: Neither here nor there | Registered: Mar 2012
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
Mine too, not helped by it being the depths of winter here and me not wanting to even get out of bed. I blame the cat.
I can't wash anything because I used up the hot water having a wonderful bubble bath, so that will have to wait until tomorrow. So in the next 20 minutes my goal is to put away the rest of the shopping ( of course the frozens are in the freezer already and the meat is in the fridge where little claws can't rip holes in the plastic). My nightmare is that said cat will learn to open the fridge and I will have to turn vegetarian ![[Waterworks]](graemlins/bawling.gif)
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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Piglet
Islander
# 11803
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Posted
I wouldn't normally rush to the defence of a cat, but it's hardly his fault that it's the middle of winter.
I usually blame my unwillingness to get out of bed on my teddy-bear ...
[ 15. August 2014, 14:51: Message edited by: piglet ]
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I may not be on an island any more, but I'm still an islander.
alto n a soprano who can read music
Posts: 20272 | From: Fredericton, NB, on a rather larger piece of rock | Registered: Sep 2006
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Mrs Shrew
Ship's Mother
# 8635
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Posted
Tonight's task- the filing! Wish me luck!!!
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"The goal of life is not to make other people in your own image, it is to understand that they, too, are in God's image" (Orfeo)
Was "mummyfrances".
Posts: 703 | From: York, England | Registered: Oct 2004
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North East Quine
Curious beastie
# 13049
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Posted
Good luck!
I'm still decluttering the study. Tomorrow is the 6 week anniversary of starting it.....
The only thing that is saving my sanity is that I took "before" photos. When I get really fed up I look at them and realise how much I have done.
I've binned all sorts of stuff, including address labels for the house we left in 2003.
[ 15. August 2014, 17:57: Message edited by: North East Quine ]
Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007
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